Chapter 3
Remus sat down heavily on the corner of his bed. He sighed deeply letting his mind wander carelessly. He gingerly pulled the worn picture from the inside folds of his old robes. The young people in the picture looked up at him and waved. Remus smiled watching the movie picture couple. Gala turned to the young Remus and poked him gently in the ribs silently laughing. The young man turned quickly to her and swept her into a loving hug. Remus did not feel the tears slide down his face.
She was screaming. He could almost feel her pain as he rushed through the darkness. The scream was growing weaker. Almost there don't give in Baby - I'm coming. There was a strangled choke and the silence fell. He was too late, too late...
Remus's eyes jerked open and he swiftly pulled his wand from his robe. His eyes wide he searched the room for any kind of activity. Nothing. He replaced his wand and reached for his picture, but his fingertips brushed only fabric. He reached again but still no photo. Remus pulled at his robe pocket and began a hasty search.
'It has to be here. I must have dropped it when I fell asleep.' Remus thought desperately. He dropped to the floor and began searching.
~*~*~
Molly closed the door to the twins' bedroom and shook her head. Those boys were going to get a real talking to when, and if, she saw them. She walked further on thinking about what she had to do for the day. Her first chore was laundry, and everybody's was on the list. She set her heavy basket down in front of Remus's door and knocked gently on the door. When she received no answer she opened the door slightly.
'He won't mind if I pick up his sheets,' Molly flicked the light switch. Her eyes opened wide at the state of the room. The bed had been ripped apart. The sheets were strewn about the floor, and the heavy comforter was hanging from the closet door. The pillows, which were out of their pillowcases, lay against the wall in a pile. The mattress was half on and half off the box springs. The once neat dresser and bedside tabletops must have been wiped clean only to have the things put hurriedly back on. What little furniture there was in the room had been moved about and sat at odd angles. Molly blinked in amazement at the mess.
'He is almost as bad as the twins' the bewilderment on her face showed. 'I wonder what in Merlin's beard he was doing. Well, it won't hurt to tidy a little bit.' She straightened up as best she could then stuffed the sheets into her already over loaded basket.
Molly walked down the stairs and into the laundry room where she deposited the heavy basket. As she shook the sheets out to put into the machine she noticed a fluttering piece of paper. After loading the muggle contraption, which she really enjoyed, she picked up the paper and turned it over. The picture of Remus and Gala looked up at her in relief and waved before returning to each other. Molly looked at the picture in shock.
'Remus would never leave this anywhere, especially after the protectiveness he had shown when I looked at it earlier.' Molly thought, 'I wonder if he knows?' She went in search of her troubled friend.
Molly found Remus sitting quietly in front of the fireplace with a downcast look on his face. She smiled to herself about to fix what she knew was wrong. Molly entered the room quietly and sat down lightly beside him before placing the picture in his lap. She watched as Remus's eyes focused on the picture and the look of relief, which spread over his tight features.
"Where did you find this? I searched my room for almost an hour." He was holding the photo tightly, "I thought it was gone."
"It was in the sheets, I was doing laundry and went in to get yours. I usually shake them out before I put them in the machine," she smiled, "just in case."
"Thank you Molly." Remus carefully put the picture inside his robes, and then double-checked it.
Molly smiled at the man before standing up to get back to her chores. Remus had his hand over the pocket with the picture, and was sitting back with his eyes closed. 'He'll check that pocket every five minutes for a while,' Molly thought.
"Molly?"
"Yes Remus?"
"Could we talk some more?" Remus still sat with his lids over his eyes. He felt like he had to tell someone.
Molly sat down eagerly and leaned towards him, "Of course."
...
Remus sat down heavily on the corner of his bed. He sighed deeply letting his mind wander carelessly. He gingerly pulled the worn picture from the inside folds of his old robes. The young people in the picture looked up at him and waved. Remus smiled watching the movie picture couple. Gala turned to the young Remus and poked him gently in the ribs silently laughing. The young man turned quickly to her and swept her into a loving hug. Remus did not feel the tears slide down his face.
She was screaming. He could almost feel her pain as he rushed through the darkness. The scream was growing weaker. Almost there don't give in Baby - I'm coming. There was a strangled choke and the silence fell. He was too late, too late...
Remus's eyes jerked open and he swiftly pulled his wand from his robe. His eyes wide he searched the room for any kind of activity. Nothing. He replaced his wand and reached for his picture, but his fingertips brushed only fabric. He reached again but still no photo. Remus pulled at his robe pocket and began a hasty search.
'It has to be here. I must have dropped it when I fell asleep.' Remus thought desperately. He dropped to the floor and began searching.
~*~*~
Molly closed the door to the twins' bedroom and shook her head. Those boys were going to get a real talking to when, and if, she saw them. She walked further on thinking about what she had to do for the day. Her first chore was laundry, and everybody's was on the list. She set her heavy basket down in front of Remus's door and knocked gently on the door. When she received no answer she opened the door slightly.
'He won't mind if I pick up his sheets,' Molly flicked the light switch. Her eyes opened wide at the state of the room. The bed had been ripped apart. The sheets were strewn about the floor, and the heavy comforter was hanging from the closet door. The pillows, which were out of their pillowcases, lay against the wall in a pile. The mattress was half on and half off the box springs. The once neat dresser and bedside tabletops must have been wiped clean only to have the things put hurriedly back on. What little furniture there was in the room had been moved about and sat at odd angles. Molly blinked in amazement at the mess.
'He is almost as bad as the twins' the bewilderment on her face showed. 'I wonder what in Merlin's beard he was doing. Well, it won't hurt to tidy a little bit.' She straightened up as best she could then stuffed the sheets into her already over loaded basket.
Molly walked down the stairs and into the laundry room where she deposited the heavy basket. As she shook the sheets out to put into the machine she noticed a fluttering piece of paper. After loading the muggle contraption, which she really enjoyed, she picked up the paper and turned it over. The picture of Remus and Gala looked up at her in relief and waved before returning to each other. Molly looked at the picture in shock.
'Remus would never leave this anywhere, especially after the protectiveness he had shown when I looked at it earlier.' Molly thought, 'I wonder if he knows?' She went in search of her troubled friend.
Molly found Remus sitting quietly in front of the fireplace with a downcast look on his face. She smiled to herself about to fix what she knew was wrong. Molly entered the room quietly and sat down lightly beside him before placing the picture in his lap. She watched as Remus's eyes focused on the picture and the look of relief, which spread over his tight features.
"Where did you find this? I searched my room for almost an hour." He was holding the photo tightly, "I thought it was gone."
"It was in the sheets, I was doing laundry and went in to get yours. I usually shake them out before I put them in the machine," she smiled, "just in case."
"Thank you Molly." Remus carefully put the picture inside his robes, and then double-checked it.
Molly smiled at the man before standing up to get back to her chores. Remus had his hand over the pocket with the picture, and was sitting back with his eyes closed. 'He'll check that pocket every five minutes for a while,' Molly thought.
"Molly?"
"Yes Remus?"
"Could we talk some more?" Remus still sat with his lids over his eyes. He felt like he had to tell someone.
Molly sat down eagerly and leaned towards him, "Of course."
...